As children, grown-ups told us not to eat too many candies, no matter how delicious they were. Now that we are older, should we still care about what they advised us to do? Healthline stated that the average intake of sugar Americans took was 76.7 grams in 2008, which was equal to 19 teaspoons or 306 calories. Problems in the brain, the heart and other parts of the body can arise with that amount of sugar being taken daily.
EFFECTS ON THE BRAIN
Eating too many sweets can negatively affect the brain. Sugar is like fuel to a car. It can activate our brain by releasing dopamine, a feel-good chemical. However, the feel-good feeling doesn’t last long. So, to experience that same feeling again, we need to take more sugar, until we become overly dependent on it. This triggers inflammation in our brains, followed by several mental disorders like addiction, anxiety and depression because they are interconnected with each other. And because of how overcharged it is, your brain will not have the capacity to gain more knowledge anymore.
EFFECTS ON THE HEART
Like rocks in rivers, sugar can also block the flow of blood to our veins. According to CanoHealth, the excess sugar and calories in our body become components that can be used to form triglycerides and LDL cholesterol (a.k.a. bad cholesterol), which then clog your arteries. Due to the blockage, your blood pressure can drastically increase and result in heart-related diseases affecting you; from heart stroke to arrhythmia. Unlike dams, the blockage cannot be destroyed; which can result in other parts of the body losing connection.
EFFECTS ON THE WHOLE BODY
But it doesn’t end here; sugar can negatively affect other parts of our body too. Sanford Health states that sugar that surpluses the body will rapidly produce insulin to regulate the system. Because of this, your blood glucose will drop down and cause your energy to drop too. If you continue to crash your body, day by day, you will gain so much weight that you will probably develop several illnesses as dangerous as cancer.
Eating too many sweets can have plenty of unhealthy effects on our bodies. It can overstimulate our brain, affect our heart and even drain our energy. Eating healthy foods like fruits and vegetables and exercising during your free time are ways that can combat this.
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About the author:
Nadine De Leon is a young writer in training who wants to inform others about important matters, like a better lifestyle and current events, so that people will learn and become more aware of what is happening. She isn’t just an informative person; she is also creative and innovative, always conceptualizing something new and improving something old.